Snow White
by ShaymieTehShaymin
Summary: "And just as stories go, the people will run far away. But I don't blame them being way too afraid. The world was just not made to love someone like me." Sierra Hall has spent her entire life isolated from other people due to her strange appearance and her ability to paralyze people with a single look. What will happen when she meets a certain Cullen?
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so long story short, I'm rewriting this story. I didn't really have a clear idea of what I wanted this story to be at first, and now that I do, I feel a bit more confident in writing this story. Some things have been changed, such as Sierra and Emerson's background and their relationship with their parents, but hopefully it's still just as enjoyable. I'm doing a double update to kick this reboot off, so please enjoy and review! ~Shaymie**

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" _And just as stories go,the people will run far away. But I don't blame them being way too afraid. The world was just not made to love someone like me."_

 _ **Sierra's POV**_

I was a monster. Plain and simple. Anyone could tell that just by looking at me. My mother hated me. My father wouldn't even look at me, which was probably best for his safety. The only person who ever gave me the time of day was my sister, and that was probably just because she pitied me. Poor, little Sierra who was nothing but a freak of nature.

I was a nobody. I wasn't allowed to leave the house. If it wasn't for Emerson, I wouldn't even be allowed to leave my room. Such a sad existence for a sad little creature such as myself.

Emmy brought me outside was the start of everything changing, though I couldn't tell if it was for the better or not. She snuck me out while our parents were at work and took me to a place called a "mall". I didn't like it there. Everyone stared at me. I heard their whispers, even when Emmy tried to distract me by showing me things. It was a bad idea, doomed from the start. I did nothing but draw attention to us. Eventually we got kicked out. Apparently I was a distraction to others who were trying to shop, though I hadn't even done anything.

"They're just jealous," Emmy tried to reassure me on the drive home. "They only wish they could look like you. Different isn't a bad thing, sweetie."

"It's not just how I look. It's what I can do… There's a reason I was locked up, Emmy."

I locked myself in my room that night and took out the pack of razors I had stolen from my parents' bathroom. Nothing would change if I died, right? Nobody would care. Nobody even knew I existed.

I heard someone downstairs angrily slamming dishes into the dishwasher. Mom and Dad were yelling at Emmy about something. I could hear my cat scratching anxiously at my bedroom door. Yeah, nobody would care if I died aside from my cat and Emmy. That was enough to solidify the decision, and I angrily cut across my skin.

 _At least this way, I can't hurt anyone_


	2. Chapter 2

**Enjoy the double update, lovelies! ~Shaymie**

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 _Emerson's POV_

I stared at the burning remains of my house as I helped my sister to the car. She was unconscious, but still alive. I shuddered as I looked at her charred arm and smoke-covered face. It couldn't be that bad. Everything would be better once I got her to the Cullens. Their father was a doctor, wasn't he? He had to be able to help.

I shook my head as I buckled Sierra into the seatbelt. I had to focus on getting her help. Nothing else mattered. I managed a small smile as Dusty jumped into Sierra's lap. It was a miracle that she made it out alive. Sierra would have been crushed if the kitten hadn't made it.

I closed the door and walked over to the trunks of clothing I had managed to pack and throw out the window. I had been planning to leave for awhile now, anyway. I couldn't stand how Mom and Dad had treated Sierra. They treated her like a monster just because she looked a little different and could do special things. It wasn't right.

 _You should have tried to save them,_ a tiny voice in my head nagged. _You left your parents to die._

"I did what I had to for Sierra and that's all that matters," I mumbled angrily as I attempted to drag one of the trunks into the backseat of the car.

"Need some help?"

I flinched as I heard a smooth voice near me and dropped the trunk on my toe, muttering curses under my breath. A pale hand quickly and swiftly lifted the trunk, and I found myself staring into golden eyes.

The Cullens were here. Well, not all of them. It was only Emmett and Jasper. I briefly wondered what they were doing here before realizing that they only lived a few miles away and had probably seen the smoke. I paled as I noticed that Emmett was by the car, staring at Sierra. Nobody knew about her since my parents refused to even acknowledge her existence. Their story to everyone was that Sierra was out of the country getting special medical treatment for her skin. As if they would have ever cared enough to take her to a doctor. On the rare occasion my sister got sick, I was the one who nursed her back to health. In fact, I did everything for her. I even got two jobs just to save enough to move out with her.

"Emmett, we should focus on getting them to Carlisle," Jasper said as he loaded a trunk into Emmett's Jeep, which was parked to the side.

"W-What are you doing?" I asked as the brothers managed to load the trunks into the truck faster than I ever could have managed. I couldn't help but notice that Emmett kept glancing over at Sierra.

"We're helping you like the good woods buddies we are," Emmett said, getting into his car. He opened the passenger's seat and grinned at me. "Get in."

"I'm not leaving Sierra," I scowled, looking over at her.

"You're not in any condition to drive," Jasper pointed out. "You're trembling. You and your sister are riding with us."

I looked at Sierra, who was still unconscious. She looked fine for now, but I should get her to a doctor as soon as possible, and if Emmett and Jasper were willing to help…

"Fine," I relented, opening the door for Sierra. I flinched as she started moving, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to wake up. I stared at her expectantly and smiled when a beautiful pair of ruby red eyes stared back at me. She looked around dazed and shrieked when she saw Jasper. Dusty looked up at Sierra sleepily before curling back up for a nap. Nice to see that she cared.

"...Who is he? W...Where are we? Mom and Dad will be mad that you've brought me outside again."

"It's alright, sweetie. Everything will be fine. I promise. Nothing will ever hurt you again," I said gently, kissing my sister on the forehead. I'd make sure of that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello there, lovelies! This chapter took awhile (I was in moving limbo and was waiting until after I had moved and had stable internet before posting this), but that's all done and over with, so here's the next chapter of Snow White! Hopefully you lovelies enjoy it. Don't be afraid to leave a review. ~Shaymie**

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 _Sierra's POV_

I hid behind Emmy as we stood in the stranger's living room. I still couldn't understand everything that was going on. From what I could tell, a fire had burned down our house, and now we were staying with Emmy's friends and their family. Emmy didn't answer my questions about Mom and Dad, but I could assume that they didn't make it. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I know I should be sad (after all, they're our parents), but they hated me and treated me like trash.

Dr. Cullen had checked out my arm, which had bright red burn marks all down it. I didn't even remember the fire. I quickly discovered that I couldn't move my left arm. Just another thing that made me a freak. I covered it with bandages first chance I got. It was disgusting, just like the rest of me. I couldn't stand to look at it.

"Things will be better here," Emmy had told me as she helped me bathe (which she hasn't done since I was little, but since I couldn't move my arm, I had no choice). "I know Emmett and his family. They're… nice."

The way Emmy had hesitated before saying the word "nice" is why I couldn't exactly trust them. She said that the people at the mall would be "nice". She said outside would be "nice". I couldn't trust that word anymore. "Nice" was nothing but a pile of lies.

"...You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to, Emerson," the doctor was saying. I squinted at him and flinched as the tall, muscular boy with the dark hair stared at me. I think Emmy said his name was Emmett. He was the one who drove us here while Emmy and I sat in the backseat, my head on her lap.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Cullen. I don't know what we would have done if Emmett and Jasper hadn't shown up when they did." I spotted a gray flash run across the room and squeaked as Dusty dashed over to me, digging her claws into my body as she climbed up. I held her with my good arm and snuggled her tightly.

"Can we really trust them?" I asked softly, looking up at Emmy. "Mom and Dad were mean… The people at the mall were mean… How can you expect me to trust these _strangers_? We should have just stayed by ourselves."

"Sierra-"

"I don't want to stay here. I… I know we can't go home, but anywhere is better than here. Anywhere alone is better than with some people we barely know."

"You have to trust me on this, sweetie. The Cullens are nice people. They're not like those idiots at the mall. They're not like Mom and Dad. They're _nice_." Emmy knelt in front of me and brushed my bangs from my face like she always did when she tried to comfort me. I hated that look in her eyes. She was sad, and I could tell she was thinking back to what had happened. She wasn't an idiot. She knew what I had been doing in the bathroom. She knew I had been trying to… end my life.

"Emmy…"

"Please. Give them a chance, Sierra. I messed up before, I understand that. But this time I _know_ that things will be okay. They're good people."

And that was how my sister and I ended up living with the Cullens. I spent most of my time in my room reading, while Emmy and the others went to school. Emmy said I could start school anytime I wanted, but we both knew it wouldn't happen. Aside from me looking like a freak, there was the whole thing about my secret power. I still couldn't control it yet, and I wasn't sure if I ever would be able to. If I looked at someone directly in the eyes, there was a chance they could be petrified. Of course, all I had to do to fix it was blink or look away, but it was still a terrifying thing. I didn't want to hurt anyone.

As much as I wanted to stay in my room for the rest of my life, I knew it was hurting Emmy that I hadn't given the Cullens a chance like I told her I would. The only problem was deciding which one to talk to. They were all intimidating in their own way.

I decided to start with Esme. She seemed nice and motherly (and was certainly the least intimidating one of the bunch). I padded downstairs, the wooden floor feeling nice and cool on my bare feet, and found her in the living room, reading a magazine. I took a deep breath and gripped my book tighter. I could do this. All I had to do was say "hi".

"Oh, hello there, Sierra." I squeaked as Esme looked up from her magazine and noticed me.

"H-Hi… Um… What are you reading?" It didn't look anything like the magazines Emmy read all the time. It was less colorful and looked like it had way more words.

"It's an interior design magazine. I love looking at new ideas to decorate the house." Esme smiled at me and patted the seat next to her. I hesitantly sat next to her on the couch, gripping my book tightly.

"And what are you reading, dear?" Esme asked gently. I felt my face grow red and held it out to her. It was a book that Emmy had to read for school. She had lost it in her room and found it only after she paid the library back for it. She didn't really want it, so she let me have it.

" _T-To Kill a Mockingbird,_ " I stammered out. I shouldn't be this nervous. Emmy said that everything would be okay here. And Esme hadn't once given me the evil eye for how I looked. Though now that I think of it, the Cullens were just about as pale as me, maybe even paler. There was one big difference between us, though. They were beautiful, probably even more beautiful than Emmy or my mother, as weird as it felt to say.

We spent the next few hours either talking or just reading silently. I had lost track of time until Emmett burst through one of the back doors (probably the garage door) laughing loudly. His siblings followed behind, along with Emmy, who looked surprised to see me in the living room.

"What's so funny, Emmett?" Esme asked, setting her magazine down. Emmy rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Someone asked Edward out on a date again and he rejected them. Emmett's been laughing about it since we left school. I thought he would have shut up by now," she groaned. She narrowed her eyes at him and smacked him with her backpack.

"Chill out, Emerson! You were laughing, too!"

"I laughed for about five seconds and went back to behaving like a normal human being. You're like a five year-old. Even Sierra was more mature than you when she was five!" Emmy groaned and rubbed her forehead. "I'm going to get ready for work now."

"Are you okay, Emmy?" I asked, frowning at the look on her face. She looked exhausted, and she kept rubbing her temples like she was in pain. She smiled at me and shook her head.

"I'm fine, sweetie. It's just been a really long day. I'll bring you a piece of cake back or something, okay?"

"Strawberry shortcake?"

"You know it, kid."

I watched as Emmy walked up the stairs and sighed. Something was wrong with her. Maybe she was sick or it was _that time of the month_. Either way, I'd have to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn't overwork herself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Y'all, it's a miracle that this chapter is out within the same week. Hopefully you lovelies enjoy! ~Shaymie**

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I walked upstairs after Emmy and followed her to our room, closing the door behind me. She threw her backpack down by the door and immediately started changing into her waitress uniform. I didn't know if she was ignoring me or if she really didn't know I was here.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked as she pulled on her light blue waitress dress. She sat down on her bed and shoved her legs into white stockings.

"I'll be fine after I take some painkillers. You don't need to worry. Instead, let's talk about you a bit. I don't think I've seen you leave this room for anything but food or the bathroom. What changed?" Emmy put on her shoes and gestured for me to follow her to the bathroom. I sat on the edge of the bathtub as she put on her makeup.

"I don't know… I guess I was just a little bit lonely."

"You can always start school. Everyone's nice, I promise. Maybe you could even start when Chief Swan's daughter starts so you'll have a friend."

I frowned. I knew how much Emmy wanted me to start going to school and act like… well, like a normal teenager. It hurt her whenever I refused to go shopping with her and Alice. She didn't want me to spend my entire life cooped up inside. I knew I would probably regret it later, but…

"Alright. I-I'll go to school. If it'll make you happy."

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Sierra! I'm not trying to rush you or anything. I just think that…"

"It's fine. I'm ready. Really. There's only so much I can teach myself, anyway."

"I'll talk to Carlisle and Esme about getting you enrolled later. But you really don't have to do this-"

"You're going to be late for work, Emmy," I said as I stood up. I managed to smile at her before I left the bathroom. I heard her sigh behind me as I sat on my bed.

"I'll see you later, sweetie. You can tell me if you change your mind about school. I won't be mad." Emmy finished tying her hair back as she left the bathroom. She grabbed her purse from her bed and smiled back at me as she left the room.

I laid down on my bed and sighed. I knew I should trust Emmy way more than I did. After all, she was my sister and I literally owed her my life. I didn't want to hurt her anymore. Not after what I had done.

Emmy had been furious. When we were finally alone in the Cullen house, she had screamed at me, asking me what the hell I thought I was doing, and why didn't I just talk to her about how I felt and didn't I know how much she loved me? And then she broke down crying. Right there, in the middle of the Cullen's kitchen.

She didn't deserve any of what I had put her through. She deserved a better sister, to be perfectly honest. But instead she was stuck with me.

 _Emmett's POV_

"Just go up there and talk to her," Alice told me, smiling. I shook my head. She was probably scared of me. She was scared of everything, as far as I could tell. I didn't know why Emerson had been hiding her sister's existence from everyone. The last thing Jasper and I expected when we ran to her house was to find another person there.

Emerson came down the stairs, dressed in her waitress uniform. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail for once, and she looked exhausted.

"Are you okay, Emerson?" Alice asked. "You can call into work if you have to. You've been working a lot lately."

"I'm fine, Alice," Emerson murmured, rubbing a hand over her face. "I probably won't be back until really late, so can you make sure that Sierra eats? She'd probably stay cooped up in our room all day if I didn't remind her to eat."

"Sure thing! Just try to take it easy if you can."

Emerson nodded and groaned as she walked off towards the garage. Alice looked at the couch and picked up a book. I recognized it as To Kill a Mockingbird, which we had read dozens of times. I was sick of it.

"Go give this to Sierra. It'll give you an excuse to talk to her." I reluctantly took the book from her and sighed. I would have to talk to Sierra eventually anyway, and she wasn't going to be the one initiating the conversation.

I walked upstairs towards the room she shared with her sister and hesitated outside of her door. I took an unnecessary deep breath before knocking. I heard her heart start beating faster, and for a second I thought that she was going to try to pretend to be dead before I heard a quiet "come in".

I entered the room and closed the door behind me. Sierra had been lying down on her bed, but she stood up as I approached. It took everything I had to not stare at her. She was so precious, with her extremely pale skin with just a hint of pink in her cheeks, her curly white hair, and her bright red eyes, which, unlike a newborn vampire's, were beautiful. And she was so short, probably even shorter than Alice.

"Sheep…" I found myself muttering before I could even catch myself. I shook my head and groaned. "Sorry. I just… You look like a sheep. Wait, that's weird. Um… You left this on the couch."

Sierra stared up at me, a frown on her adorable little face. She spotted the book in my hand and took it when I handed it to her.

"You're… Emmett, right?" I nodded and cleared my throat. She probably thought I was an idiot now.

"Emmy… Um, my sister said that you two had classes together… Uh, thank you for bringing me my book."

"No problem. So, uh… How old are you?'

"Fifteen… I think. Emmy keeps track of these things better than I do." She shrugged as she set the book down. How could she not know how old she was? Wasn't that a basic human skill?

"I'm going to go downstairs," I said, mentally punching myself. What the hell was I doing?

Sierra nodded and sat back down on her bed. I waved awkwardly at her before leaving the room. As soon as I was back downstairs, Alice was glaring at me.

"What was that? You were supposed to woo her! You barely even talked to her!" I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Whoo, another chapter in a kind of timely manner? Sorry it wasn't up sooner, but I've been dealing with hurricane Harvey. Nothing got flooded near me, thankfully, but all the stores were closed and we got kinda scrappy with food, which meant that I wasn't eating much and I got sorta sick. I've been getting better and decided to celebrate with a new chapter. And don't worry, my other stories will get updated eventually once I get out of my rut. Hopefully you lovelies enjoy! ~Shaymie**

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"Stupid fucking key," I heard Emerson mutter from outside as the front doorknob started to shake. I was in the living room, still thinking about my conversation with Sierra earlier. Alice had chewed me out, saying that I needed practice talking to girls and that I should think about what I say.

I had made my mate cry. She tried to hide her crying, but everyone could hear. She had been holding them back when she was talking to me, but she had let it all out when I had left the room.

"Fucking finally," Emerson grumbled as she opened the door. She slammed it behind her as she walked in and ran a hand through her hair, which was a complete mess. Her makeup was dripping down her face, making the dark circles under her eyes more prominent.

"Are you okay?" I asked, noticing that the bottom edges of her skirt was ripped. She glared at me, her normally bright blue eyes looking incredibly dark. I noticed a bruise on her arm and took a step towards her.

"None of your damn business," she snapped, gripping her purse tightly. "Why are you still awake, anyway?"

"Couldn't sleep," I stammered out. I had never seen Emerson like this. I had no idea she could even get this angry.

I watched as she stormed upstairs without answering me and frowned. Emerson had been grumpy these past few days, but this was something else entirely, and I was getting to the bottom of it.

"...What's wrong?" I heard her ask as she shut her bedroom door behind her. I could hear Sierra's muffled sobs and felt my heart break. I was an idiot.

"E-Emmett said I look like a sheep… Does that mean I'm ugly?"

"No, sweetie, of course not. Sheep are cute, and he was probably trying to tell you that. He's just a bit of an idiot. I'll talk to him later, okay? Now you should probably get some rest."

"Okay," Sierra sniffled, and I could hear some rustling going on upstairs. I left the house to hunt as things quieted down.

The next day was Saturday, and Emerson was sleeping for most of it. She didn't come downstairs until almost three in the afternoon, and she gave me a death glare the second she saw me in the living room playing video games with Jasper. I looked up from the game and smiled at her, though I knew she probably wasn't having any of it.

"Hey, Emerson. What's up?"

"Don't you 'what's up' me. You made my sister cry, you idiot!"

"I didn't mean to!" I said, putting the controller down. "I just… wanted to talk to her. She was so cute I didn't know what to say. Can you give me a chance to apologize?"

Emerson huffed and glanced towards the stairs, jumping slightly as she saw her sister standing at the bottom of them. How did none of us notice her? Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and her delicate little nose was bright red.

"S-Sierra, I didn't notice you there," Emerson said, her voice trembling. Sierra sniffled and rubbed her eyes. Her white hair was even fluffier than it was yesterday and stuck out at odd angles. Even her bedhead was adorable!

"I was hungry," she mumbled, walking over to her sister and grabbing her hand. She glanced at me. Her face grew bright red as she looked away from me. Had she heard anything?

"You should have brushed your hair before you came downstairs," Emerson smiled down at her sister and ran a hand through her hair. Sierra closed her eyes and yawned.

"That's too much work," she complained. She let Emerson attempt to tame the mess of hair and looked around. She glanced over at me again and I realized that I had just been staring at her for awhile. I looked back at my game, but kept watching her from the corner of my eye.

"...How about I take you out to eat? If you want to start going to school, you should start leaving the house more." Sierra crinkled her nose at her sister's optimism and puffed her cheeks out.

"I was just hoping to eat the cake you brought me."

I couldn't help it. I started laughing as I looked over at my mate. Her face was bright red, and she looked away the second we made eye contact. She was too adorable for words.

"Cake is a perfectly good first meal," Sierra huffed, gripping onto her arm. I couldn't help but notice the way it swung freely, but chose to not comment on it. Carlisle had mentioned something about "terrible burns" and "loss of movement". I hated it. I wish I had found their house sooner. Maybe then Sierra wouldn't have been hurt.

"Fine, fine, you don't have to leave yet," Emerson sighed. She gave up on Sierra's hair and grabbed her hand, shooting me a glare. I wasn't even doing anything!

"...On second thought, I'm not that hungry," Sierra muttered, pushing her sister away gently. Emerson sighed as she watched her sister go up the stairs and narrowed her eyes at me.

"Why do you keep doing that?" I asked as Jasper paused the game. I guess there was no getting away from this.

"Apologize to Sierra. Now," Emerson hissed. Her bright blue eyes looked almost purple now, which only made the dark circles under her eyes more noticeable.

"That's what I was asking your permission for!"

"My permission? You don't need permission to apologize to someone! That's just being a decent person!"

"It sure seems like it. I mean, none of us have gone anywhere near your sister since we're scared of you yelling at us for it! I mean, where'd she come from, anyway? You never mentioned anything about having a sister before now."

"That's none of your business-"

"I'd say it is, considering the fact that you're living with us. Everyone else won't ask, so I will. Where did Sierra come from? Is she even your sister? Were you keeping her locked up-"

"It's none of your fucking business." Emerson glared up at me and stormed out the front door, barefoot and still in her pajamas.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all, it's a new chapter! It's a bit shorter than the others, but I wanted to get something up. Hopefully you lovelies enjoy! ~Shaymie**

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"Nice going, Emmett. I don't think that scored you any points with your mate's sister," Alice huffed, glaring at me as she walked into the living room from the garage. I looked away from the door and shook my head.

"She's been here for almost a month and we know nothing about her! She won't tell us anything. We don't know how the fire at her house started. For all we know, she could have been the one to start it! And what about Sierra? She's scared of practically everything, and she only talks when Emerson's with her. How do we know that she's not torturing her or something?"

"Emmett, I think we'd be able to tell if some kind of torture was happening up there," Jasper said calmly. I narrowed my eyes at him as he tried to calm me down. Just because nothing bad had happened yet doesn't mean that it won't.

"Dusty, wait!" I looked up as I heard Sierra's frantic footsteps rushing around upstairs. Her little gray kitten dashed down the stairs and ran up my body, purring as it kneaded my hair. Sierra huffed as she ran downstairs, stopping to catch her breath in front of me. Her eyes widened as she looked up at me.

"I-I'm sorry! I was giving her a bath and she ran off… I forgot to close the bathroom door behind me…"

I grabbed the kitten from my head and handed her to Sierra, whose face was bright red. I noticed that her sleeves was rolled back and her arm was covered in angry red marks. I forced myself to look away from them since she looked slightly uncomfortable.

"It's fine," I said, relishing over the fact that Sierra was here, that I could actually talk to her. She looked around and frowned.

"Where did Emmy go?" she asked softly, petting the kitten on her head.

"She, um… left."

"But she didn't come upstairs to change… Where would she go in her pajamas? Do you know where she went?" I couldn't stand the sad look in her eyes and looked away as I shook my head.

I turned back around as I heard a soft sniffle and smelled salt. Tears were falling down her face as her breathing started to speed up. She dropped Dusty as her entire body started shivering.

"Sierra?" I took a step towards her and frowned when she flinched.

"E-Emmy left me… I knew she would. She got tired of me. Not that I don't blame her… I'm a freak. I should have cut deeper, maybe that would have ended me…"

"Sierra, sweetie, everything's alright. Emerson just stepped out for a bit," Alice said calmly, putting a hand on her shoulder. Sierra screeched and pushed her away.

"Don't touch me!" She shook her head and backed away from us. She wrapped her working arm around herself, almost as if she was trying to hold herself together. She gasped as she backed up into a wall and sobbed.

"Jasper, do something," I hissed, turning to look at him.I couldn't stand to see Sierra like this. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at Sierra and shook his head.

"I can't," he murmured, his eyes getting darker. "It's like she's blocking me out. Nothing's working."

Sierra jumped as the front door slammed open and Emerson stormed back in, her hair a mess. Her hands were bright red and scratched up, and I suspected that she had been punching something. She closed the door before Dusty could run out and gasped as she saw Sierra, who was a trembling mess.

"What did you do to her?" she yelled, kneeling in front of Sierra. "I was gone for like thirty minutes!"

"E-Emmy… I… I thought you had left me…" Sierra choked out. She gripped her arm tightly and let Emerson hold her. "I thought you gave up on me because I'm such a freak… I'm a monster… I wouldn't blame you for leaving me. I… I'm…"

"I'll never leave you," Emerson murmured soothingly, running a hand through her sister's wild hair. "I'll never let anyone hurt you. I'm sorry for leaving without telling you. I just needed to breathe. Things have been… stressful at work. But I promise, I'll never leave you behind as long as I live."

Sierra sobbed into Emerson's shoulder and released her death grip on her arm. She shuddered as her sister continued to stroke her hair and whisper comforts in her ear. It felt like torture watching my mate suffer and being unable to do anything about it. I wasn't sure how long it took, but Sierra's breathing gradually returned to normal.

"I love you," Emerson said gently, kissing Sierra on the cheek. "I love you so much, sweetie. I'm sorry for worrying you so much. I don't know what I was thinking. This is a pretty sucky way to spend the day before your birthday."

"B...Birthday?" Sierra asked, her voice raspy. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. She shivered as Emerson stood up and patted her on the head.

"Yeah… Tomorrow's January 16, remember? You'll be sixteen years old. Aren't you excited?"

Sierra frowned and looked at the ground. I remembered what she had said when I talked to her in her room. She didn't seem to care much about herself. She didn't even remember how old she was. It would have been a miracle if she remembered her own birthday.

"Oh, I have to get ready for work!" Emerson gasped, looking at the clock. She kissed her sister on the forehead and stood up.

"I won't be home until tomorrow, but I promise I'll come back. I won't leave you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, my lovelies! Bet you never thought you'd see this story updated again! I've honestly had this chapter finished for a long while, but I kept stressing over whether it was** ** _good_** **or not. I apologize for leaving y'all in the dark for so long. Anyone who follows me may have noticed that I have a bit of a new obsession. To be honest, I'm not all that into Twilight anymore, but I am into Twilight fanfiction if that makes any sense at all. Anyway, this chapter isn't really that long but I figured anyone still following this story deserves something. Hopefully you lovelies enjoy! ~Shaymie**

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 _Emerson's POV_

"Emma, can you talk to me in my office?" I glanced up from the cash register as my boss called me from the back. I sighed as I handed the customer their change. My boss could never remember my name, although this was probably the closest he had been this week. I left the register and walked over to my boss' office, closing the door behind me.

"Is something wrong, sir?" I asked. I hoped he didn't notice me coming into work late. I asked Jessica to distract him while I clocked in, but maybe he had noticed anyway.

"I couldn't help but notice you were wincing earlier. Is everything alright?" I flinched and rolled my sleeve down. I was hoping nobody would notice. Emmett had most likely seen the bruises earlier, but he hadn't bothered to ask me about them. Sierra had asked about them, but I managed to convince her that they were just from me bumping into something at work. Which I guess was slightly accurate.

"I had an incident with someone at the diner," I muttered, frowning at the memory.

 _It was another late night at the diner, and I was the only employee left. Everyone else had either bailed or just didn't show up to work, period. I had stupidly decided to take overtime, because I needed the money to save for a house. Sierra and I couldn't stay with the Cullens forever._

 _There were only two customers left: Chief Swan, who was having a late night dinner, and some businessman who was visiting town for work. The diner's policy was that we couldn't close up until the last customer left. So I was forced to wait until they left._

" _Hey, miss, come over here! I need a refill!" I took a deep breath as I picked up the coffeepot. Patience, Emerson. They'd leave eventually and I'd get to go home and see Sierra and then sleep. I forced a smile into my face as I approached his booth._

" _My, aren't you a pretty one," the man slurred as I poured his coffee. He pulled a flask from his pocket and poured a dark brown liquid into the cup. I scowled at the scent._

" _Don't go yet," he grinned as he put a hand on my thigh. I looked towards Chief Swan for help, but he had gone to the bathroom. I thought to call out to the manager, but I was paralyzed with fear._

" _G-Get your hands off of me!" I hissed, trying to push him away. He glared at me as he jumped from his seat. His other hand flew towards my throat._

" _You should have just been a good little girl. Maybe then I wouldn't have to do this." His breath reeked of black coffee and liquor. I choked as his hand tightened around my throat, while his other hand tugged at my skirt. I flinched as I heard an audible tear. I was going to have to sew that up._

" _Let go of the girl!" I heard Chief Swan yell. I looked towards the bathrooms and sighed in relief as I saw Chief Swan, who had pulled his taser out. The businessman sneered and released his grip on my throat, but grabbed my arm instead. I coughed and took in deep breaths._

" _Let me go!" I yelled, stomping on his foot. I poured the coffee over his head as I ran over to Chief Swan. I didn't even realize I was crying until he handed me a handkerchief after the guy left._

"Did you file a report with the chief?" Mr. Johnson asked after I finished the story. I shook my head and took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

"No, sir. I left. Chief Swan offered to escort me home, but I denied it. I didn't want to be a burden."

"I see… Well, you can take it easy today, Emma. Are you going to work again today?"

I knew he was talking about the diner and not here. I didn't want to work there again today, especially if there was a chance of that guy coming back. But I had to work today if Miss Diane was going to give me a cake for Sierra's birthday.

"Yes, sir. I clock out in an hour." Mr. Johnson frowned and awkwardly fiddled with some papers on his desk, his way of hinting that there was something he wanted to say, but didn't know how to put into words. I waited patiently for him to finish with the papers.

"With all due respect, Emma, I don't think you should go back there. At least not until the culprit is apprehended. From what I could tell from your story, your other boss either didn't notice or didn't care about the assault. I don't feel comfortable-"

"I'll be fine, Mr. Johnson. You don't need to worry about me. Can I go now? I don't want to leave Jessica alone with everything." Mr. Johnson frowned as he looked me up and down, but reluctantly let me go. I sighed in relief as I left his office.

I didn't get back home (or rather, back to the Cullen's house) until early Sunday morning. Thankfully that creep hadn't showed up, and I had a fairly peaceful day at work. Angela helped me pick out a cake for Sierra's birthday (though I had to lie a little bit about what the cake was for). I spent hours searching the town for a birthday present for Sierra until I eventually decided to go to Seattle, which is why I ended up coming back so late.

I yawned as I set Sierra's cake onto the dining room table. I sat at one of the fancy chairs and put my head on the table. I'd get Sierra's presents from the car in a bit...


End file.
